CasamanceSN
In Basse-Casamance, an African region considered one of the “cradles” of rice cultivation, remarkable forms of housing have developed that are as advanced as the agricultural practices in this vast mangrove swamp area. Throughout the area, large mud houses with their solid and extensive roof structures and varied floor plans testify to a high level of mastery of advanced architectural techniques. In the kingdom of Bandial, also known as the community of Mof Ëwi, an architectural form completely original to Africa has emerged: the crown-shaped house with a central impluvium. In the past, each large family had a single house in which all the elements were grouped in a circle under a single gabled roof; the different rooms of the house thus form a crown around a small central courtyard. The inside of the roof descends like a funnel — the diameter of which varies greatly — allowing light to pass through and collecting rainwater, which falls into an earthen trough and flows outside via an underground palm tree drain. To increase the number of rooms as the family grew, the house was sometimes doubled by creating a second impluvium linked to the first. These houses in a circle with a central impluvium are now only found in a few examples, whereas they used to be widespread on the north coast of Casamance. The agricultural society that forms the basis of this unique mud architecture also has a rich cultural tradition and material goods that have been remarkably well preserved and are therefore also eligible for inclusion on the heritage list.
From: www.whc.unesco.org